Please Kenyans, Register as Voters

The voters registration has just begun and it will take 45 days. Quite a good thing. It is only by the grace of God that Kenya survived this far bearing in mind there have been no acceptable voters register since the previous one used by politicians to manipulate the 2007 general election resulting to crises. This process by the Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC) is long overdue. It is largely a clean up and reorganisation process to the electoral register.

The former electoral records were a total confusion. They had over a million dead and multiple registration issues. It is widely believed that even the dead rose to vote in the 2007 general election. This greatly contributed to the 2007 crises.

This made many voter loose faith in the electoral process. Today many voters are approaching this issue with a lot of indifference. The trauma related to the crises continue to haunt many. Many are still in IDP camps. Others have not forgotten how their brothers and sisters were murdered in cold blood as some politicians fanned the issue while the other who had powers to stop the violence watched indecisively.

Shyness of Kenyans to register is amplified by strange behaviour of MPs. Tribalism, regionalism and partisanship as evident in the ongoing constitution making process is a bitter reminder that our selfish MPs were baptised but they never repented. The election crises were precedented by the "Yes/No" referendum with the political class highly divided. They preached hatred among poor Kenyans and are willing to do the same yet again. God forbid. History seams to replicate.

Kenyans lost faith in democracy as innocent people were killed and displaced. The promises were made by the coalition government to the displaced such as resettling and building of houses have yet to be fully implemented. Those in the IDP camps are threatened by the government with eviction yet they have not been given their dues.

Kenyans queued for hours to vote politicians with super projects whose feasibility is only possible in heaven. The elected MPs have never gone back to their constituents amid many soaring problems like the sky-rocketing cost of living, unemployment and insecurity. Kenyans feel cheated. Why then should they register?

The adamant politicians are jostling for powers and position ahead of the next election. They started doing this 5 years to the next general election. They forgot the development issues and started positioning themselves through corruption, realignment and witch hunting.

The electoral commission, politicians, church an the civil society can be invited to do massive voters education. But the assurance that will invite Kenyans to vote with enthusiasm is a promise to end all the above vices largely contributed by the political class.

Kenyans are for sure justified to to be negative to this voter registration exercise. However two wrongs will never makes anything right. Kenyans please register as voters. It is only that vote that have the power to vote out the greedy. What says you Kenyans?